Waste Not, Want Not.
As a mom, I feel strongly that it's important to do what I can do to minimize the impact that I have on the environment.
I recycle, use re-usable bags at the grocery and turn off the lights that I'm not using. I try to buy "green" products and I buy local produce when possible. I shut off the water when I'm brushing my teeth - unlike my husband, which just maddens me!
![picresized_1271261945_shutterstock_2039455[1][1].jpg](http://womenontheirway.com/alysons-adventures/picresized_1271261945_shutterstock_2039455%5B1%5D%5B1%5D.jpg)
When I'm staying in a hotel, I don't have them wash my towels or linens on a daily basis and I make sure to turn the lights off when I leave the room.
Yes, these are small things but I truly believe that if we all make small adjustments to our daily lives, there will be big changes in the world around us. This is Earth Month so the issue is more in the forefront of our minds; at least, I know that it is for me.
Last week to kick of the month, the boys' daycare participated in a "mini version" of Earth Hour in a very unique way. The kids celebrated over a week of events with the theme "Stepping up for the Environment" that included shutting off the lights in the school for an hour, learning about and having a parade of endangered animals and learning about what the kids could do to save the planet earth.
Love it.
Last week, here at work, we celebrated receiving a LEED-CI Silver Certification for our HQ building. The United States Green Building Council attended the celebration and spoke about the impact that we've had on the environment. When I heard that 20% of the total number of LEED Certified hotels in the US are Wyndham Worldwide properties, I have to tell you - super proud of the company.
What are you doing to make a difference or to celebrate Earth Month? What do you do with your kids to help them understand how important it is to conserve and protect the world around us?
I know that the things that we do around our kids help them to learn our values around this issue. My son was brushing his teeth the other day and turned the water on full blast, looking up at me. "I want to be a waster like Daddy" he said. After shutting off the water and having him repeat that statement to his father, my husband and I realized that not only are we making an impact on how our children value the earth, they're constantly making an impact on us.
For the record, my husband now shuts off the water when he brushes too.
